KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


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KBGS Old Boys' Forum
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Neville Hind

Passchendaele.

-Perhaps someone might have already posted extracts from the book, ‘Passchendaele. A New History’ by Nick Lloyd previously. If so, I apologise. But the fact is, that quite by chance, whilst I was reading this account of the horrific battle which took place in 1917, I came across quotations from the memoirs of Private Neville Hind of 1/Lancashire Fusiliers, who was a member of the attacking force on 9 October in what was to be known as the Battle of Poelcappelle. I’d known that ‘Nick’ had fought in WW1 and that he’d been award d a medal, but no details! These brief extracts from his memoirs brought home to me what hell ‘the old man’ had been subjected to, along with thousands of other men, British and German. My respect for him has increased substantially.

“1 had been frightened sometimes before, and windy; anxious very often. But never before, so far as I can now recollect, had I been so stunned and stupefied as to lose for some minutes, all presence of mind. ..... earth and air seemed full of death. The din of the massed artillery behind us, the continuous crash of exploding shells before us, great shoots of fire, and shot n the air above us, Thor rattle of machine guns in the German line, the bursting of shrapnel shells from the German guns, flashes of flame that seemed to swoop down from the air as a hawk on its prey and obliterate the men on whom they descended - it was through this kind of thing we moved forward, across that desolate waste of mud and water and shell holes - nothing else”.

Through this carnage, the battalion pushed on to take a pillbox that had been holding them up before suffering a terrific punch in the back. He slid into a shell hole shivering with shock. He’d been hit by a sniper’s bullet. Fortunately no major organs were punctured and he was evacuated to a clearing station and then back to England with a ‘Blighty one’ and out of the war.

The Memoirs he wrote whilst in hospital recovering from his wound are now stored in the Imperial War Museum. I’d like to read the complete document!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945 - 50

Current location (optional) Norfolk

Re: Neville Hind

I saw the book the other day , will get it now . I always understood that "Nev" had won the M.C.in WW1. He was a lovely fellow indeed.Thanks Denis for bringing this to our attention

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 43-46

Current location (optional) Tasmania

Re: Neville Hind

Hi Denis, An interesting posting here from your good self, the subject of which rang a distant bell with me when I first read it. The medal that 'Old Nick'received was in fact, the Military Medal and I could recall commenting on this some years ago(Sept 2007 to be exact)
If you return to your original posting and scroll up you will find a Search Box on the right. If you enter the words 'Military Medal' and click on 'search', it should take you back to 2007 and a topic heading of 'Where are they now?', containing 5 comments on two teachers, Leonard Stockdale and Neville Hind, which should fill in some earlier gaps for you.
Reference is made on one 'posting', to a newspaper clipping about the death of Neville Hind following his collapse at York Railway Station, which as yet,I've been unable to find. David

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

Re: Neville Hind

Name: Neville Hind
Regimental Number: 38485
Regiment: Lancashire Fusiliers
Rank: Private
Medals: Military Medal

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral